ER- HELP: Dumbest reason people go to ER

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ATTN ER Staff!

I am writing a "paper" on the dumbest reasons/stories that people show up/come to ER. Would appreciate ANY input ANY of the ER staff out there has for me.........................IF you'd like a copy of the FINAL draft, please let me know and I'll forward it.

Thanks much!

PS. My winning entry so far is a Mom who brought 1 month old infant in at 2:30 AM because "it wouldn't look her in the eye. It doesn't recognize me!"

Not making this up

Specializes in NICU.
if someone slaps me in the face I wouldn't go to the ER; it's a waste of time. I would just ignore it ( if it was the first time) or call the police if my husband did that repeatedly (theorically, of course). But go to the ER, that's not that life- threatening and that I think that the nurses and staff have more important things to deal with than a person who gets slapped in the face. One calls the police for issues like those; not going to the ER

I respectfully disagree. In terms of documentation and not treating victims of domestic violence like crap, ERs have much to recommend them above the police.

ETA: And it's your choice to ignore it if your husband slaps you, but that doesn't make someone who doesn't ignore it silly, which is what the reference post called the woman.

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I respectfully disagree. In terms of documentation and not treating victims of domestic violence like crap, ERs have much to recommend them above the police.

ETA: And it's your choice to ignore it if your husband slaps you, but that doesn't make someone who doesn't ignore it silly, which is what the reference post called the woman.

When you put it like that you do have a point there. I just thought that the police would handle the situation better than at the ER. No, I don't think that it is silly reason for going to the ER. I just thought that it didn't make sense. What can a person at the ER suggest about situations like those???

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Specializes in NICU.
When you put it like that you do have a point there. I just thought that the police would handle the situation better than at the ER. No, I don't think that it is silly reason for going to the ER. I just thought that it didn't make sense. What can a person at the ER suggest about situations like those???

And I totally agree that a slap in the face doesn't require level I trauma medical care, but they do have much better victim advocacy and social work than the police. They have more ways to handle the situation. If the choices are ER or police, and for many people they are, then the ER, while not ideal for the patient or the staff, can be the better choice. So many women stay in bad situations because going through the criminal process is so awful. The thought of putting your husband in jail, even if you want to get away from him, is daunting, especially for an abuse victim. Advocates can help a woman get out without necessarily pressing charges if she doesn't want to. If you call the cops, husband gets arrested, even (in some states) if the victim doesn't want that.

/soapbox :)

Oh, and also, judging from the referenced post, it doesn't sound like the police in that area would be real sympathetic.

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And I totally agree that a slap in the face doesn't require level I trauma medical care, but they do have much better victim advocacy and social work than the police. They have more ways to handle the situation. If the choices are ER or police, and for many people they are, then the ER, while not ideal for the patient or the staff, can be the better choice. So many women stay in bad situations because going through the criminal process is so awful. The thought of putting your husband in jail, even if you want to get away from him, is daunting, especially for an abuse victim. Advocates can help a woman get out without necessarily pressing charges if she doesn't want to. If you call the cops, husband gets arrested, even (in some states) if the victim doesn't want that.

/soapbox :)

Oh, and also, judging from the referenced post, it doesn't sound like the police in that area would be real sympathetic.

thank you for the information. I totally forgot abut that part when you said that if a wife gets the police involved, he can get arrested. So the ER is the safest route to go when a perosn have been abused? I didn't know that. :nurse:

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Specializes in NICU.
thank you for the information. I totally forgot abut that part when you said that if a wife gets the police involved, he can get arrested. So the ER is the safest route to go when a perosn have been abused? I didn't know that. :nurse:

I did a project on DV for community health. :) The BEST option, if true medical care isn't required, would be a battered women's shelter or other advocacy group. But the stigma of abuse keeps many people away from that - sometimes the ER feels more acceptable.

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Wait, did he really hit her in the face? Because that's not a silly reason to go to the ER, at all. I'd go to the ER if my husband (theoretical, not married) slapped me in the face. Your use of the word "bet" is throwing me off here.

please note the country of origin is UAE

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Specializes in pure and simple psych.
please note the country of origin is UAE

Is that United Arab Emirates ??? (sp?)

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Is that United Arab Emirates ??? (sp?)

that would be my guess....

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Specializes in Trauma, Surgical, Oncology.

I was a patient in the ER about 12 years ago with a PE. I was taking a lot of the staff's time while they tried to dx me. During this time a guy was triaged and put on the other side of the curtain from me. While he's waiting he falls asleep and is snoring to wake the dead. I heard the nurse go in and wake the patient. Her first question is what brings you to the ER. His response.....I can't fall asleep. :uhoh3:

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Specializes in critical care and er.

this just came in by ambulance the other day..i mean night (0300) "-didn't have a appetite that day"

others include "almost got stung by a wasp" and of course " want a pregnancy test"

sometimes its hard to laugh!!!!

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I did a project on DV for community health. :) The BEST option, if true medical care isn't required, would be a battered women's shelter or other advocacy group. But the stigma of abuse keeps many people away from that - sometimes the ER feels more acceptable.

naw, the best coorifice is the cops. Get him arrested for hitting his wife. Bet he won't do it again!

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Ha ha - I had a patient come into the ER where I work last week because her 15-day-old baby's BELLY BUTTON FELL OFF! I was tempted to ask her if she still had hers... :p

Some people should need a license to be a parent....

or the hopitial should do some better education!

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